Tin Loaf :)

Okay, Okay, by now you probably have already guessed how much I love baking bread. This one is only a slight variant on my previous ones, but I want to share it with you guys anyway :)

So this one, I have used from Paul Hollywood's How To Bake book (page 34, if you have your own copy :P). This is the ingredients featured within this glorious book:

• 400g of Strong White Bread Flour plus extra for dusting
• 8g of salt
• 7g of instant yeast  - side note: I have noticed most of the small packets of instant yeast contain exactly 7 grams in, so saves you from some awkward measuring, but check the packet just in case.
• 25g of butter
• 250ml of cool water
• Olive oil for kneading and oiling the tin (somewhat optional) 

And the method :) 

Put the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast to one side of the bowl, salt to the other, and plonk the butter in as well.

Pour 3/4 of the water into the bowl and turn the mixture with your fingers. Slowly add the rest of the water  until all flour is picked off of the sides of the bowl. Don't pour all of the water in, in one go because you could cause your mixture to become to soggy, so pour bit by bit and that way you only use what you need. 

Keep mixing until you end up with a rounded dough. Place some oil on a clean surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until you get a neat smooth dough. At first kneading with oil feels really gooey, but Hollywood says to 'work through the initial wet stage'. 

From this   to this 

Then slightly oil the bowl and place the bread in, cover with a tea towel, for its first rise.

whilst waiting, oil a 1kg loaf tin or two 500g

After at least an hour or more, once the dough is doubled in size, shape the dough into a ball by knocking out the air. Then form into the shape of the tin. (Paul Hollywood says: flatten the dough out slightly and fold the sides into the middle) The top becomes smooth, and the fold of the dough will be at the bottom. 

Place the dough into a tin and put the tin into a clean plastic bag for the last rise. 

Once doubled in size, dust the dough with flour and slash the top with a knife.

Fill a roasting tray with water and put into the bottom of the oven .

Bake for half an hour, when its ready you will hear a hollow sound when you tap the bottom and smell a very very yummy loaf!

 

And as usual add some butter or margarine whilst still warm and you get the most yummiest bread and butter ever!!!